The Mobian Agenda
by TrueVulcanRaven
Summary: Remember what the G Man said about interesting offers? A VALVe and SatAM crossover. Ch. 7 is now up.
1. Briefing

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Briefing"

Consciousness flooded his brain with sensory input as he attempted to shake off the mental cobwebs caused by time spent in cryostasis. His tongue felt bloated and sluggish in his mouth as it tried to formulate words. "Let me guess: another assignment?"

"Astute as ever, I ssssssee." His employer's uncanny speech impediment still chilled him to the core whenever he heard it.

From his appearance alone, one would be hard pressed to believe that he was approaching seventy years in age. In all honesty he looked to be no more than thirty. He stood at about five-foot-eleven, and he had the lean but defined build one would expect from a man in his line of work. He kept his rust-colored hair trimmed fairly short, and his goatee was impeccably shaven. The powers that be had long ago corrected his vision at some point during his many years in suspended animation, but he still insisted upon wearing a set of black horn-rimmed glasses. They recalled him saying something about their reminding him of his past before "the incident," so they decided to humor him and replaced the prescription lenses with placebos after the procedure. The most remarkable feature about him, though, was his attire: an armored, orange and black full-body suit. The H.E.V. Mark V was his only possession, the only thing certain in what passed for his life. That feat of engineering prowess was for all intents and purposes the sole reason why he had survived "the incident." He couldn't even begin to count how many times it had saved him from certain death since that fateful day back in New Mexico. The fact that he was now awake more than assured that number was about to grow even greater.

"It would sssseem that your…_services_ are indeed required once again," his employer hissed as time and space bent to convey him to his destination. "Good luck, Dr. Freeman. I daresay you will _need_ it."


	2. Less Than Welcome

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Less Than Welcome"

The scientist nearly fell to his knees, and he bit back the urge to vomit. Teleportation still left him with a sense of dizziness. He navigated the heads-up display on the inside of his helmet and selected an injection that would alleviate his discomfort. After the drug set in, he analyzed his current location. He was in a long corridor that was lined with what appeared to be holding cells. The walls were made of a blue-black metal alloy. Lodged in the ceiling were long, cylindrical bulbs that cast a harsh white light on the hallway.

_Judging from the look of things, I'd say I've warped into a prison. Until I find a weapon, I'd do well to tread lightly._

"Motion detected!" a monotone voice called out from around a corner.

Gordon barely had time to curse silently to himself before the source of the noise rounded the bend.

"Unidentified unit found!" the humanoid robot stated, leveling a pulse rifle of some sort at him. "State your call name and serial number! You have five seconds to comply!"

_Think, Gordon! For Christ's sake, think! _He raised his hands in the air to signal his intent to comply and took extremely small steps towards the robot. "False alarm. Designation: GFML-102. Serial number: 807-13-6254."

"Searching databanks…records not found!" the android concluded, raising its weapon up to its bright red optical receptor. "Commencing termination!"

"Negative!" Gordon yelled, still inching his way towards the droid. His mind raced to come up with something to buy him a little more time. "I am a prototype for the new Lambda series. The roster has not yet been updated to include my credentials." _Almost there…almost._

A hinge near the android's wrist popped open to reveal a communication device. "SWAT unit KMS-23 to Central Control. Come in, Central Control." The robot waited for confirmation for what seemed like hours to Gordon. It looked down to examine what could possibly be interfering with the broadcast of its message for only a split-second—more than enough time for Gordon to make his move. His mechanically-enhanced might allowed him to make short work of the droid. He tackled the robot, whose weapon flew from its hands and skidded across the floor. The SWAT unit sent a vicious kick Gordon's way that would have crushed his shoulder had he not been wearing his hazard suit. It rolled onto its stomach, trying to get to its feet and recover its rifle. Gordon was quicker, though. He jumped onto its back and gripped the android's head at the point where it connected to the torso. The servos and motors inside the suit whirred and grinded to amplify his strength, giving him just enough power to permanently relieve the SWAT unit of its most vital component.

"Central Control to KMS-23."

_The communicator! Must be running on an independent power source._

"KMS-23, respond, over."

Gordon tried to muster his best Ben Stein imitation. "Situation stabilized. Rogue unit destroyed. Awaiting further instructions."

"Affirmative. Cleanup crew is en route. Continue patrol. Central Control out."

The scientist breathed a sigh of relief. His respite was short-lived.

"Central Control to KMS-23. Respond."

_Now what? _"Reporting in."

"Anomaly detected. Recent scans report supposed deactivation of unit KMS-23. Request explanation."

"Uhh…. Assessing. Conclusion: possible equipment malfunction."

_Real smooth, Gord._

"Unacceptable. Proceed immediately to repair station RS-010 for full evaluation."

_Something tells me this conversation isn't going to end on pleasant terms. _

As such, Freeman slammed his boot down onto the SWAT unit's arm with a satisfying crunch, severing the link. He collected what he deduced to be spare clips from the android's body and then picked up the pulse rifle.

"Combat protocols engaged," the hazard suit's A.I. announced. "Munitions monitoring system: online. Life signs analysis system: online. Targeting assistance: online. Have a very safe day."

_Oh, the irony_, Gordon thought to himself as he ran down the hallway.


	3. Echoes of City 17

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Echoes of City 17"

Gordon slowed down when he heard more SWAT unit chatter. He crouched low, doing his best to minimize the noise caused by his footsteps. From what little he could make out, he was coming upon a security checkpoint, manned by at least five SWAT 'Bots. After fine tuning the sensitivity of the microphones in his helmet he was able to pick up their conversation.

"Incoming transmission," one droid spoke, gaining fully the attentiveness of the other units. "Source: Central Control. Priority: Urgent."

"Central Control to Detention Facility Checkpoint DC-3. Contact lost with patrol unit in nearby sector. Caution: high possibility of hostile engagement."

"Acknowledged."

The androids whirled one hundred and eighty degrees around simultaneously to locate the source of the affirmation. They were greeted by white-hot plasma from the rifle Gordon had commandeered. Once he was sure they were down, he hopped over the waist-high wall to search for ammunition. Gordon then stored the extra magazines in once of the many compartments in his suit. A suspicious-looking storage unit in the back of the room caught his wary gaze. He couldn't help but smile after he had forced it open.

_Jackpot._

After choosing a pistol-type sidearm, Gordon traded in the pulse rifle he was carrying for a model that featured a zooming scope with increments to aid in adjusting for the effects of gravity. Above the rack of projectile weaponry was a shelf filled with plasma, fragmentary, smoke, and flash grenades. He grabbed four of each, making sure to memorize which storage pocket contained what type. His eyes then wandered to a small, padded package and what looked like its accompanying remote trigger, invitingly labeled "For Emergency Usage Only."

_I'll definitely be keeping _that_ handy._

He adjusted the strap on the little parcel and slung it over his right shoulder. The sudden burst of a klaxon nearly made him jump out of his hazard suit.

"Attention! Checkpoint DC-3 compromised!" The hollow, emotionless voice rang out over the P.A. system. "All SWAT personnel on full alert! Investigate! Prosecute! Eliminate!"

A wry smirk danced on his face.

_Business as usual._

Gordon climbed up onto a row of computer terminals on the left wall and ripped off the grating that covered an outlet in the facility's ventilation system. From past experience he had learned that it was always better to have the jump on foes in superior numbers as opposed to meeting them head on. He pulled the grating back into place and began to crawl. Every so often he paused at a ceiling-mounted vent cover, hoping to see or overhear anything vital to his mission. It finally dawned on him that he had not seen a living being in this whole prison. All the cells he had passed thus far were utterly vacant. The sudden realization did not sit well with the scientist.

_A smattering of blood here, a torture chamber or two there, and this place could be Nova Prospekt._

He shuddered as he recalled the horrors he had witnessed while journeying through that terrible place on his way to rescue Dr. Vance. His mind snapped back into focus at the sound of the only thing that could have comforted him at that moment: a human voice. The tone was defiant but tinged with fear at knowing that inevitably some vile fate awaited him.

"Hey, quit pushin', chrome-dome."

"Yeah, what's the hurry, assholes?"

_Crack!_

The sickening sound of what he correctly assumed to be the butt of a firearm meeting bone reached Gordon's ears.

"Uhhf!"

"Sonic!"

"Last warning. Prisoners will remain silent."

The physicist peered through the slits in the duct. He wasn't quite prepared to find out that the voices didn't belong to humans at all, but rather bipedal animals. The first in line was a rabbit, and judging from the surprisingly curvy figure, a female one at that. She wore a tight-fitting violet tube top and a pair of cut-off khaki shorts. One of her arms and both her legs appeared to be robotic prosthetics. The next one to pass by was a walrus, decked out in a gray vest, baggy jeans, and a red baseball cap. Third was a coyote. His navy uniform, which reminded Gordon of a member of a Royal Guard of some bygone European monarchy, had seen much better days, and his brown boots were well-worn. Gordon grew hot with anger when he looked into the eyes of the next individual who walked by.

_He's only a kid. _

The lad of which he spoke in his head was an orange two-tailed fox, clothed in a bloodstained gray t-shirt and denim shorts that looked like they hadn't been washed in ages. Behind him was another female, a chipmunk with shoulder-length red hair. She was garbed in a simple blue vest, similarly colored boots, and brown shorts. In a pitch so low that only she and Gordon (with the help of his suit) could make out, she offered calming words to the young boy. The final member of the troupe was a blue hedgehog. Judging from the long gash on the side of his head, he was the one that had gotten a little too rowdy for the SWAT 'Bots' likings. He wore a red vest and jeans, and on his feet were a pair of strange-looking sneakers.

Each prisoner was escorted by two SWAT units, except for who he assumed to be Sonic. He had six. All of them bore the same furious and indignant look on their faces, refusing to reveal physically the dread that was pent up inside of them.

"Relevant data secured," the Mark V spoke in his ear. "Possible match with prison records."

_What the hell?_

He then remembered Dr. Kleiner mentioning something about a new hardware addition that allowed the suit to interact with wireless-capable computers. He assumed the A.I. must have synched up with the machines back at the security station. The profiles of the individuals below him flashed across his H.U.D.

"Good God, they're _all_ kids," Gordon whispered to himself.

"Indeed, they are," an even, feminine voice assured him over his suit's radio.

Freeman bit his tongue to keep from gasping in shock.

"Who are you? And how did you get this frequency?" Freeman asked, keeping his voice low.

"Time for a full explanation is a luxury that neither you nor I can afford at the moment, Dr. Freeman. All that you need to know right now is that you can trust me."

Gordon was incredulous. "And why is that?"

"Because I am the one who hired you," a hint of impatience was starting to show in her voice. "I'm a super computer created in the not-so-distant future by Rotor, the walrus you saw walk past. I belong to Sally."

"The redhead?" Gordon guessed.

_Did a computer just sigh at me?_

"Yes, that is correct. Please, Dr. Freeman, it is imperative that you not allow them to reach the roboticization chamber. The loss of those six would be more than enough to break the will of the resistance."

"I'll do my best." Gordon's anxiety lessened noticeably after she had finished. "Do you have a name by any chance?"

"Call me Nicole."

"Well, Nicole," he said as he focused to unfasten the ventilation duct lid. "I'm sure it will be a pleasure working with you."

"Likewise, Dr. Freeman."


	4. Salvation

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Salvation"

"_Everyone! Get down and cover your eyes and ears!" _Gordon yelled as loud as he could while pulling the pin on two flash grenades. One he launched towards the front of the procession, the other he dropped straight down at the rear.

Luckily, all the captured teenagers had followed his command without hesitation and retained their sight and some of their hearing after the grenade detonated. Though the SWAT units were impervious to the noise and blinding light, the concussive force of the flash-bang knocked them to the ground. Gordon wasted no time in capitalizing on their vulnerability. He leaped down from the ventilation shaft (almost fifteen feet from the ground), landing squarely on the shoulders of one of the SWAT 'Bots and crushing it under the combined weight of his body and his hazard suit. He moved on to the next closest androids, spraying them with four-round bursts of plasma before they could even raise their weapons. At the sound of gunfire the other droids hurriedly rose to their feet, grabbed the five closest prisoners, and dove for cover in the nearest empty holding cell. It registered in Gordon's head that it would be wise to do the same, but before he could act on the idea, a blue blur seized his hand and pulled him to safety.

"Suspect found! Engaging!" the SWAT unit furthest from Freeman called in to his superior. "Casualties sustained! Requesting deployment of nearest Assault Team!"

"Affirmative. Assault Team Delta deployed," was the reply.

The hedgehog took a glance at the situation down the hall, pulling his head back to avoid a burst of energy. "Shit." He then turned to Gordon. "Nice Halloween costume, dude. You look like a reject from a B-grade alien flick." His face then grew somber. "Sorry, that's just one of my bad habits. When thing go sour, I cope by making lame jokes." He continued. "So, you got a badass hero-type name to match the balls you must have to come here solo?"

"Gordon Freeman," he replied, failing to suppress an amused grin.

"Hmph. I guess that'll have to do," the hedgehog assessed as they shook hands. "I'm Sonic, fastest thing with two legs that you'll ever meet."

The jangling of the former captive's cuffs caught Gordon's attention. "Let me get those for you." He pulled out his handgun from his inventory and fired several rounds at the locking mechanism.

"Thanks." He massaged his wrists momentarily. "Got any more grenades?"

Freeman opened the storage compartments where he kept them.

"Gimme all the frag 'nades and one plasma."

Once he had done so, Sonic disappeared almost instantaneously. In a matter of seconds Gordon found himself surrounded by Sonic and his companions, after which followed several muffled explosions.

The hedgehog shrugged. "I made 'em an offer they couldn't refuse," he said, giving his best Mafioso impression.

The quip garnered a chuckle from the fox and Freeman, but everyone else seemed to have run out of patience. A reproving glare from Sally was all it took to get him back in line.

"Freedom Fighters, meet the cavalry, otherwise known as Gordon Freeman," Sonic introduced as the scientist went to work on their restraints.

"Thanks for the rescue, sugah. Ah thought it was all over for us," the rabbit offered while Gordon tried to remove the specially-made handcuffs with which the SWAT team had fitted her. He finally got her roboticized arm free, and in practically no time at all she had liberated the rest of the Freedom Fighters.

"Well, Your Majestee, what eez ze plan?" the (apparently) French coyote asked. From following his line of sight Gordon deduced he was speaking to Sally.

"We have to recover Nicole. I hid her back where we were ambushed in the northern residential zone near the Wyler and Fairhaven subway entrance," she responded. "If Robotnik somehow found her, it could jeopardize everything."

Rotor nodded in agreement. "Right. Let's move."


	5. Divergence

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Divergence"

"Hey, guys?" the one Gordon recalled was named Miles called out from down the hallway. "Remember that Assault Team? They're gonna be here any minute now."

"I'll stay here and hold them off," the physicist volunteered. "That should buy you some time."

"Not by yourself," Sally objected. "I can tell you aren't from around here, Mr. Freeman. Bunnie and Rotor, stick with him and try to make sure he doesn't get himself lost or killed. Sonic, Tails, and Antoine, you're all with me."

They quickly exchanged some sort of handshake, and Sally's team rushed away to retrieve her computer.

"I've only got one extra firearm," Gordon said as he offered the handgun that he had found earlier for either Freedom Fighter to use.

"I'll take it for now, but this isn't going to do much against their personal shields," Rotor responded. "I've never actually bothered to count and see how many shots it takes to deplete them, but I'm pretty sure it's upwards of ten."

"Then you two hide here until I clear the area," Gordon said, opening a storage closet.

Bunnie hit the door's controls, closing the entrance. "I hate ta sound crude, but that's bullshit. We may not have fancy-shmancy hazard suits, but we sure as hell can hold our own, sugah."

"Your call," Freeman acquiesced as they took positions to meet the incoming SWAT Assault Units.

As soon as the sliding doors at the left side of the four-way intersection snapped open, Gordon jumped out from his hiding spot behind a data terminal in the corner. He took a quick headcount while lobbing two plasma grenades in their direction, causing them to scatter.

_Only five?_

They looked similar to regular SWAT 'Bots, except their bodies were a grayish tint and their shoulder guards appeared to be a bright red. Each carried a weapon that looked a lot like the pulse rifle Gordon had, but mounted on the bottom of the barrel was some sort of grenade launcher.

Immediately after the explosions, the scientist peered over the computer station and took aim at the nearest SWAT Assault Unit. The first five shots dissipated in a green flash about three inches from its body, but the next three got the job done.

_Grenade took out the majority of their shield energy. Mopping up the rest should be a piece of c-._

He recoiled, the energy behind the enemy fire nearly knocking him down.

_Over there…behind the pillars. Tryin' to flank me._

Gordon leaped to the fallen SWAT 'Bot and tucked into a roll while simultaneously grabbing the weapon out of its motionless fingers. He came up in a crouch with both guns blazing, and he peppered the two 'Bots that had tried to take him by surprise. The last two SWAT Assault Units charged him and opened fire, the discharges from their weapons draining his suit power alarmingly fast. The energy level indicator for the Mark V on his HUD dropped to zero and he fell to the floor under the weight of the suit.

"Shit!"

Just as they were about to deliver the coup-de-grace, the two 'Bots fell forward, the one on the left from Rotor's shoulder charge, the other a victim to a nasty side kick from Bunnie. The walrus rapidly emptied the clip from Gordon's handgun into the back of the SWAT Unit, while Bunnie simply opted to crush the head of the last foe under one of her robotic heels.

"Helluva trigger finger ya got there, Rotor. You made that semi sound like a full-auto," Bunnie commented as she picked up one of the pulse rifles the SWAT 'Bots had dropped.

"Geoffrey's been giving me lessons in small arms handling," Rotor replied nonchalantly while he reloaded. "Apparently pistols are my forte."

"Ah, if it's not too much trouble, could I get a little help here?" Freeman called out.

Bunnie walked over and pulled him into a sitting position. "What happened, sugah? It looked like you jus' dropped."

"My suit's dead. I can't move."

Rotor looked around and motioned to a recess in the wall. "Bunnie, help me drag him to that SWAT 'Bot recharging station."

Once they were there, Freeman gave him directions on how to access his suit's power supply. The look on Rotor's face once he had examined the interface wasn't reassuring.

"Quite a bizarre combination of new and dated technology you've got here, Mr. Freeman. This is going to be tricky." A minute later and he was applying the finishing touches. "Bloody archaic units of measurements…who the hell uses Ohms and volts anymore? Hope my conversions are correct." He bit his lip and switched the charger on, causing Gordon's suit to beep wildly.

"Overload failsafe kicked in," the physicist said.

"Strange…I was almost certain that—ah, I'm off by a decimal place." He adjusted the flow of electricity and the suit let out a low-pitched hum, signaling that it was readily receiving energy. "There we go." He took a step back. "All right. If we get separated, you think you can repeat what I just did?"

"I believe so." Within seconds Gordon was fully charged and back on his feet.

"I'm surprised reinforcements haven't arrived yet," Rotor mentioned as they collected ammunition for their newly-acquired weaponry. "The lower levels of this particular building aren't patrolled very frequently, so we'll be less likely to encounter resistance if we head down."

Freeman was quick to offer his consent. "Fine by me."


	6. Distorted Memories

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Distorted Memories"

After a few skirmishes and close calls, they found themselves outside a repair station. Once they had destroyed any of its previous occupants Rotor went inside to search for any weapons or supplies. Bunnie and Gordon stood guard, both keeping sharp watch for any more trouble. Just as he was about to try and ease the tension with an attempt at small talk, his suit's auditory sensors picked up a faint but steady metal clanking. At almost the same time, Rotor jogged out from inside the station, his hands full.

"Just in time," Freeman spoke as he relieved the walrus of most of the load of ammunition and explosives. "We're about the have company."

After handing Bunnie a small satchel to carry her share of the spoils, he gave Freeman and the rabbit a small circular piece of metal. "Secure transmission communicators. For now, Gordon, just slip it in your helmet. I can modify your suit later on when we're not so pressed for time."

The scientist quickly unfastened and removed his headgear. He was about the do as Rotor requested when he noticed that Bunnie was staring at him in a mixture of confusion and apprehension.

He looked behind him, expecting to see a hallway full of SWAT Units. "What? What's wrong?"

"Uh…" Bunnie stammered.

Rotor nudged her with his elbow. "Nothing. Let's just keep moving."

Perplexed, Gordon inserted the comms device in his ear and reconnected his helmet, just in time to overhear the whispered conversation between the two Freedom Fighters.

"What was that all about?" Rotor asked as he checked the clip on his pulse rifle.

"He's an Overlander."

"He put his life on the line twice for us thus far, Bunnie," the walrus hissed. "What the hell does he have to do to earn your trust?"

"Xenophobic tendencies aside," Gordon interrupted, "whatever it is that's heading this way is getting closer."

After exchanging uncomfortable glances, Rotor took the point and Bunnie followed him close behind. Gordon covered the rear.

_What the hell is an "overlander"?_

Though it would take him a while to derive its definition, he knew from her tone that it carried some sort of negative connotation. The volume of the footsteps Gordon had picked up earlier grew steadily louder, bringing his mind back into focus. The corridor they were traveling through was rather wide, around forty feet. At regular intervals, three holding cells about ten feet by ten feet—lying directly next to each other—divided the hallway.

"Hold up," Gordon whispered. "If we sit tight here, it's going to pass right by."

"Ya sure?"

"Positive."

The trio jogged to the outside wall of the closest detention cell and waited. Rotor peered slightly around the corner.

"Two SWATs…and a roboticized giant…?" he spoke in a hushed tone.

Bunnie tiptoed to look over the walrus's shoulder. She gasped, her free hand going to her chest. "It's Ian…Ian Blackclaw. Oh ma stars…the last time Ah saw him was right before the coup at jiu-jitsu practice."

The rabbit turned around, putting her back against the wall and sliding to the floor dejectedly. The potential threat finally breached the same set of holding cells that they were hiding behind. Gordon was looking around the edge, trying to judge when to make the "all clear" call, when Bunnie suddenly jumped from her sitting position and broke into an all-out sprint to catch up with her old friend.

"Bunnie, no!" Rotor tried to grab her, but he was too late.

She ran to the opposite side of the corridor, a pained, wild-eyed look on her face as she yelled, "Ian!"

Gordon and Rotor rounded the corner just in time to see the SWAT Units and a giant, robotic Kodiak bear on its hind legs turn to face them.

"B…Bee-bee?" he spoke, his voice sounding like a synthesized growl.

"Targets spotted! Commencing termination!" the two SWAT 'Bots droned, raising their weapons.

The mechanized behemoth abruptly let out a low moan, and his front paws flew to his head. The robotic minions turned to see what was causing him to malfunction, and with speed that belied his size the bear swung one of his front limbs around, sending a SWAT Unit tumbling through the air like a broken toy. The other droid stepped back, its fairly primitive A.I. uncertain as to how to respond to an attack from an ally. Ian took the opportunity to seize it by the head in one paw and drive it into a wall. He let out another anguished cry and sank to his knees. Bunnie immediately ran to his side, rubbing his back and taking his left paw into her roboticized hand. Rotor followed suit, putting one hand on Ian's shoulder to try and reassure the lad.

"It hurts…Bee-bee, my head…it hurts so bad!" Blackclaw rocked back and forth. "Make it stop!"

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I wish I could, Baby Bear," she managed to choke out.

"That's probably the first time he's ever overridden his programming," Rotor whispered to Gordon. "Very few are ever able to, even with the aid of the radiation from a Power Ring. From what I hear it's like having a hangover and a migraine at the same time."

Gordon dropped to one knee in front of the roboticized Mobian. "Don't worry, kid. We're gonna take care of you."

"Bee-bee…I can't…I can't…_Nnngaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!_" He let out a feral roar, and his eyes flickered from a neutral white to its previous red.

"Rotor, Bunnie, get a-! Uuunfh!" Gordon flew back after receiving a backfist that would have broken his neck had he not been wearing his suit. The landing didn't feel much better. He strained to push himself past the pain.

"No, don't-!" Rotor yelled.

The bear lifted one giant paw and slammed it into the ground in the exact spot where Rotor had been lying only a split second before. The walrus rolled on his side and hurriedly stumbled back to put some distance between himself and the troubled lad.

"Bunnie, get away from him! He's out of control!"

She begged, her voice catching in her throat. "Ian, p-please…come back to us!"

His response was to throw a haymaker blow that she barely dodged. The quick maneuver, however, left her off-balance, and the lad lunged forward with a deafening bellow. He scooped her up in his arms, and judging from her resulting scream she probably felt like she was caught in a trash compactor the size of a small van. By this time Gordon was back on his feet, his rifle trained on the roboticized Kodiak. Rotor's gun lay on the floor near Ian's feet.

"No, don't shoot him! They'll scrap him!" Bunnie cried out.

_Then what the hell do you want me to do! _

Bunnie gritted her teeth and groaned in agony as she weathered Ian's vice-like grip. Her roboticized arm finally reared back and launched a powerful left hook into Ian's visage. Blackclaw dropped her and fell to the ground, stunned. Gordon sprang into action as soon as the bear hit the floor. He rushed over to Bunnie and cradled her in his arms, praying she hadn't sustained any permanent injuries. He then set into a dead run in the direction that they had been traveling before.

"Go, go, damn it!" Gordon barked at Rotor

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

Bunnie sobbed weakly, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

_Whoever's responsible for this mess, congratulations. You've just made your biggest mistake: getting my full attention._


	7. Evac

The Mobian Agenda

A VALVe/Archie Crossover

By TrueVulcanRaven

Rated: T for Language, Violence

Legal Notice: I do not own these characters. They are copyright Sega, Archie, or VALVe.

"Evac"

The trio stopped for a breather four floors down. Questions without answers raced through Gordon's mind as he rested. What planet was he on? Why was he here? And what the hell was he going to eat for dinner considering he was surrounded by talking animals?

_Huh?_

His thoughts were diverted by an engraving in the grip of his rifle.

_Kintobor Mechanics Model 4. _

"Hey, Rotor, you know anything about someone named 'Kintobor'?"

Rotor snorted. "Yeah, he's the brick wall we've been banging our heads against for the better part of a decade. Where have you been? Under a rock?"

"Actually, I-."

His suit's radio suddenly buzzed painfully in his ear for a split second, startling him.

"Gordon, they are not to know of any connection between you and me," Nicole's voice commanded. "Make something up."

Rotor and Bunnie were giving him a quizzical look due to his abrupt pause in the conversation.

"I, ah…I've got a rare terminal condition. I come out of suspended animation every fifty years to see if a cure's been discovered."

"Guess ya shoulda hit the snooze button this time around, eh, sugah?" Bunnie pointed out.

Gordon managed a weak laugh, but was interrupted by the beeping of their secure transmission communicators.

Rotor checked the signal's coding signature before responding. "Sally?"

"Rotor? What's your status?"

"We're all right. How'd you know we had communicators?"

"Lucky guess. Anyway, we found Nicole, but Antoine took a hit when we ran into a few SWAT 'Bots."

Bunnie's breath caught in her throat. "Oh mah stars…"

"It's not too bad, but he's hurting," Sally said, attempting to soothe Bunnie's worries. "We're about a half-mile from the outskirts of Robotropolis, and we need to bring him in for treatment. Do you think you three can make it back to Knothole?"

"Don't worry 'bout us, Sally-girl," Bunnie replied. "Just make sure you take care o' mah li'l Antie for me."

"Will do, Bunnie. See you when you get home. Over and out."

Rotor rubbed the back of his head pensively. "Okay…if memory serves, there's a SWAT Hover Unit hangar connected to this building. To get to it, we need to take a left at the next junction and make our way up to ground level. I figure if we can hijack one of the vehicles, we can ditch it when we get to the Great Forest and lose anyone following us in the foliage. Any objections?"

"Sounds like a plan," Gordon said, nodding his approval.

The intrepid group continued without detection until they arrived at their destination. When they reached the hangar, they hugged the walls of the corridor leading in. The floor of the hangar was lined with several rows of the flying armored transport units utilized by the SWAT patrols. Service droids zipped to and fro performing their programmed tasks while a scant number of SWAT 'Bots kept watch.

"I'll take care o' this," Bunnie whispered as two SWAT units made a beeline for a nearby Hover Unit.

Just before the door slid closed, the cybernetically-enhanced rabbit leapt in after them. For a brief moment the vehicle rocked back and forth, after which Bunnie opened the entrance to the Hover Unit and signaled the "all-clear." Once they were inside, Rotor manned the controls and Bunnie took the co-pilot's chair. Freeman was just about to strap himself in to one of the rear seats when a speaker above Rabbot's head crackled to life.

"Hover Unit KMH-009, you are not authorized for takeo-."

Bunnie slid one of her fingers across a segment of the controls, silencing the control tower.

_That can't be good._

The vertical thrusters abruptly kicked in, making the scientist's stomach lurch.

"Hold on to your lunch!" Rotor shouted over the din of the motor.

When they had cleared the hangar, the walrus rapidly increased their altitude. The outside world was less than reassuring. The sky was a murky mess: billowing brownish-black clouds swirled in the sky, their hideous tint an obvious result of continuous pollution. The right half of the view offered by the cockpit revealed miles of industrial complexes, and to the left bombed-out housing units stretched as far as the eye could see. A small explosion rocked the aircraft, breaking off the physicist's sightseeing and knocking him off his feet.

"Shit!" Rotor cursed. "Hey, Gordon, get up top and put that plasma cannon to good use! Bunnie, help him with the harness!"

Freeman moved to a circle that sat roughly in the center of the Hover Unit and adjusted the connectors that hung from the ceiling.

"Be careful, sugah!" Bunnie called out as he ascended to the roof. "I'll do what I can from the side door!"

Gordon did what he could to prepare himself for whatever was headed his way. He slid his hands around the grips of dual-handled weapon, causing a targeting reticule to materialize on his helmet's HUD.

"If I recall correctly," Rotor's voice intoned in Gordon's ear, "the trigger on the left fires a steady barrage of plasma bursts, and the one on the right sends out a charged shot."

"I hear ya," Gordon replied.

"All right, boys!" Bunnie yelled. "Here they come!"


End file.
